Do You Love Me?

Jesus was having breakfast on the lakeside with His disciples. He turned to Simon Peter and said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:15). Peter had lived continuously with the Master over the past three years and had witnessed His miracles and compassion. He had been there when the Son of God was revealed in all His glory on the mountain top. He had seen the lame walking and the blind seeing, and the dead coming out of the tomb. He was one of the inner circle of disciples, and Jesus wanted to know if he loved Him. Was this because Peter had denied Him three times before He was crucified? He was probably still feeling very distressed and guilty about this, but he replied, “Yes Lord. You know I love you.”

Then Jesus said again, “Peter, do you truly love me?”

Did he really love this man who had completely changed his life and established his destiny? Could he really love someone so fundamentally like him, yet so fundamentally different? There was no doubt in his mind. “You know I love You,” He said again.

Jesus looked directly into Peter’s eyes and said a third time, “Do you love me?”

Peter knew. Perhaps for the first time in three years he really knew. Life without this man from Heaven was no life at all. He was life itself, the like of which no one had ever seen before. “Yes, Lord,” he replied. “You know all things. You know I love you.” And Jesus did.

Jesus may well be asking us the same question: “Do you love me?”

Yes, Lord. Do these words come from our lips lightly? Do they come from a familiarity with our understanding and relationship with Jesus? Are we sure? How do we know?

First of all we must know that He loves us. Jesus gave His all so that we might have all of Him. To love Jesus is giving of ourselves and receiving Him in return. True love generates a response. It’s a two-way bond.

Do I truly love Him? “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Is our heart hungry for Him?

As we draw closer to Him and begin to realise the full extent of His love for us, we become aware of something bubbling up inside. The Holy Spirit within us brings life to our mortal being. Thank You, Jesus.

What do we do with this love which is so overwhelming? - We live in it. Live in Him as He lives in us. “I in them and you in me.” (John 17:23).

“I say these things.. so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them” (John 17:13).

Believe it and receive it - ‘and know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God’ (Ephesians 3:18).